Once you have decided on your attorney, make sure that you are both clear on your goals and that you understand how the relationship between you and your attorney will work. You probably do not know much about the legal system or the maze of bureaucracy that is the Social Security system, but your attorney should. Your attorney should take the time to explain the “pace” of the case and inform you of when you should expect certain milestones or activities to take place.
You should also find out who specifically will be doing the work on your case. A lot of aspects of a Social Security disability case involve detail work that may be below a senior attorney’s pay grade and will be handled by paralegals, legal assistants and other office staff. You have the right to know who these staff members are. On the other hand, if you never speak with the attorney on your case, you are not getting what you are paying for either.
Please note: Our policy at the Disability University is to not take your case if you are already represented – unless certain circumstances exist. Keep in mind that everyone does things differently which is why we prefer not to accept cases in which another attorney has already been involved. However, under certain circumstances, we will consider accepting your case and/or be willing to speak with your attorney to try to clear up any misunderstandings.